17th January 2025
Belron welcomes the decision on 17 January 2025 by the German courts in the proceedings against Stellantis which reinforces the law that barriers imposed by vehicle manufacturers to access car data are illegal.
In its judgment, the Higher Regional Court of Cologne (HRCC) dismissed an appeal* by Stellantis in favour of Carglass® Germany and ATU, ruling that barriers imposed by vehicle manufacturers to access car data are illegal. This judgment reinforces the clear position outlined by the European Court of Justice on 5 October 2023 and marks the third victory for a fair and level playing field in the European automotive aftermarket.
Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly obstructing access to vehicle data needed by the aftermarket to undertake repairs. They are creating barriers to vehicle data through technical hurdles such as the ‘secure gateway’. These barriers add unnecessary cost and affect free competition in the aftermarket, as well as consumers’ freedom of choice, which can lead to higher prices.
Belron remains committed to ongoing dialogue with industry participants and the European Commission to ensure any new regulation addressing access to vehicle data maintains free and fair competition and reflects the principles outlined in this judgement.
Carlos Brito, CEO of Belron**, commented: “We are pleased with this latest ruling by the German courts that upholds the law that barriers imposed by vehicle manufacturers to car data is illegal.
"This judgement will ensure a level playing field in the automotive repair industry. It emphasises the need for independent repairers to have seamless access to vehicle data for essential services, without unnecessary barriers. This is crucial to maintain customer choice and competitive pricing offered by independent repairers.”
-ENDS-
*Following the decisive judgements issued by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 5 October 2023 and the Regional Court of Cologne on 15 May 2024
**Belron is parent company of Carglass® Germany
Notes to the editor
Carglass, the vehicle glass repair specialists, and ATU, Germany’s largest chain of auto repair shops, originally raised this issue with Regional Court of Cologne in a case against Fiat Chrysler (FCA Italy SpA – “FCA” or Stellantis Europe SpA – “Stellantis”). As the case involved the interpretation of EU Regulation, the Regional Court of Cologne referred the case to the ECJ, which on 5 October 2023 ruled in favour of Carglass and ATU. You may read more about the case here.
For all media enquiries please contact Edward Simpkins (+44 7947740551) / James Gray (+44 7814379412) FGS Global belron-lon@fgsglobal.com
About Belron
Belron is the world’s leading vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration group. Our key brands include Carglass®, Safelite® and Autoglass®. We operate in 39 countries across 6 continents through wholly owned and franchise operations and manage vehicle glass and other insurance claims on behalf of insurance customers. Belron is home to around 30,000 employees who delivered 15.8 million jobs for our customers in 2023 with a focus on service quality generating a very high level of customer satisfaction. More details are at https://www.belron.com/.
About Carglass
Carglass Germany is a specialist in the repair and replacement of new vehicle glass. In Germany, Carglass employs around 2,300 people, including more than 1,600 technicians in the 370 branches. Around 180 employees work in the customer contact centre. The company processes around 1.4 million customer contacts per year and helps drivers throughout Germany, whether stationary or on the move, with more than 240 mobile units. The company has been part of the international Belron family since 1990 and has been operating as Carglass GmbH since 1993.